Grave Forsaken – This Day Forth (2009)

Have you ever heard a thrash metal band sing about signs of the apocalypse, God being the only one that matters, Microsoft controlling the masses, or the need for an environmental cleansing? If not, you probably haven’t listened to Grave Forsaken’s This Day Forth, eight heavy songs that revolve around making the world a better place and how humans are destroying it with their greed and lustful desire for more.

Hailing from Perth, Australia, Grave Forsaken has been rocking and rolling since their formation in 2004. This Day Forth is the bands third album and the first for their new label, Soundmass. They are definitely a thrash metal band with a Megadeth influence, but traces of Suicidal Tendencies and a pinch of Manowar are apparent throughout.

This Day Forth kicks off with “No News…Ain’t Good News” and the message is made clear early on: the world needs to change. The lyrics in this song (and throughout the album) speak of melting polar ice caps, environmental disaster, and political agendas, the collapse of the global economy and the absence of free will. Combined with the heavy, thrashing rhythm of crashing drums and amazing guitar work, the message is delivered like a kick in the groin.

The lyrics to the music are what really make this record stand out. Deep, meaningful prose that forces the listener think about the world and their situation in it is captured here. Themes such as selling yourself on a daily basis, giving all of your energy to the job and having none left for a personal life, as well as re-examining your relationship with the Earth and the Lord are all poignant and effective in their mission to make one think and reconsider what is being done on a daily basis.

The guitar work from Vaughan Gregory and Elias Salmela is absolutely incredible and adds depth and power to the record. Their twin guitar attack is crisp, clean, and clear, and their outstanding ability to shred the axe shines through on this album. While Vaughan’s vocals leave a little to be desired, they blend well enough for this thrashing metal attack on the senses.

The title track is the best song on the record, hands down. The heavy laden guitar intro leading right into the drums kick starting the song into high gear is an immediate announcement…pay attention! The drum beats and chord changes blending with the heavy chants of “This Day Forth!” are what make this song so appealing and likable. A fist pounding, rage filled anthem if ever there was one.

While there is a lot of originality in the lyrics to the record, there isn’t much in the way of the music itself. A few of the songs sound eerily similar with different lyrics and that takes away from what could have been an extremely strong album. Too many tracks have the same format with similar bass and drum beats, and the vocal range does not change much (if at all) from song to song.

The similarity to Suicidal Tendencies on “Celebrity Judge” and The Sinners Part III” sounds so close to that band, you would almost think they recorded it. Once again though, the guitar work stands out on this track and forces the ear to take notice. Cookie Monster makes an appearance at the end of the song (and again for “Death Undone”) in the form of the grunt and growl vocal styles noticeable in a lot of death/doom metal bands.

“This Day Forth” is thrash metal done right, but it could have been done just a little bit better. While not an awful record by any stretch of the imagination, it’s an album that would benefit from some polishing.